—-first two arrested in Macon County on these charges

The Office of Inspector General (OIG) announced Monday that Teanya Poteet Knight, age 29, of Lafayette has been charged with one count of TennCare fraud for presenting a Lafayette pharmacy with a forged prescription for the pain medicine Lortab, and trying to pay for it with TennCare benefits.

The OIG announced on Tuesday that Timothy Knight turned himself in at the Macon County Sheriff’s Office for an outstanding warrant for TennCare fraud. Timothy Knight is the husband to Teanya Poteet Knight who was arrested on October 5.

Timothy Knight is accused of presenting a fraudulent prescription for Lortab to a pharmacy in Lafayette, and attempting to pay for it with TennCare benefits. The pharmacy discovered the forgery. The charges against both Timothy and Teanya are Class E felonies, punishable by up to two years for each individual.

istrict Attorney General Tom P. Thompson and District Attorney General Torry Johnson will be handling the prosecution on the case against the Knights.

“We appreciate the pharmacy employees’ keen awareness and quick actions in reporting fraudulent actions,” Inspector General Deborah Y. Faulkner said. “We hope every health care employee knows who to call when they suspect TennCare fraud, and more importantly, people are learning that we will act on their suspicions.” In the press release Monday she said, “We’re committed to weeding out TennCare fraud, especially in those cases involving fraudulently obtaining drugs, and the illegal trafficking of TennCare drugs. We are pursuing dozens of prescriptions cases across the state and will prosecute to the fullest extent of the law.”

Anyone can report suspected TennCare fraud by calling 1-800-433-3982 toll free from anywhere in Tennessee, or log on to www.tennessee.gov/tenncare and follow the prompts that read “Report Fraud Now.”